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In this series we're talking about the names and descriptive
phrases identifying Jesus. Thus far we've talked about Jesus
as God,
Lord,
Savior,
Christ,
Creator,
the Word,
the Son of
God, the life,
the Light,
the Lamb
of God, the Firstborn,
the head
of the church, our high
priest and King, (also see high
priest and King),
our Advocate
and mediator, an Author,
a Shepherd,
and the propitiation
for our sins.
In this article, we talk about Jesus as the bread of God,
and the bread of life.
Bread: Metaphoric of Jesus
Physical bread does two things. First, it satisfies us by
taking away hunger. Second, it gives us life in the sense
that we eat and live, rather than starve and die.
Metaphorically speaking, Jesus is spiritual bread. He
takes away our spiritual hunger by filling us up, giving
us eternal life.
- "'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied'" (Matt.
5:6).
- "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life;
he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who
believes in Me will never thirst'" (Jn. 6:35).
Work for the Food that Endures to Eternal Life
The day after Jesus fed over five thousand people, they
sought Him again because of the physical bread.
Speaking to the people, Jesus tells them:
- "'Do not work for the food which perishes, but
for the food which endures to eternal life . .
.'" (Jn. 6:27).
Responding to Jesus' command, the Jews asked how to do
the works of God. Then Jesus told them:
- "'This is the work of God, that you believe
in Him whom He has sent'" (Jn. 6:29).
It's important for us to learn this lesson. To obtain
the food that endures to eternal life, we must do the work
of God, which is believing in Jesus.
Jesus, the Bread of God
The bread of God, which comes out of heaven, gives life
to the world.
- "'For the bread of God is that which comes down
out of heaven, and gives life to the world'"
(Jn. 6:33).
Jesus is the bread from heaven.
- "Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because
He said, 'I am the bread that came down out of heaven'"
(Jn. 6:41).
As the bread from heaven, Jesus did His Father's will,
and not His own will.
- "'For I have come down from heaven, not to do My
own will, but the will of Him who sent Me'" (Jn. 6:38).
The will of God, sending Jesus to earth as the bread from
heaven, was to raise believers on the last day, and give
them eternal life.
- "'This is the will of Him who sent Me, that
of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but
raise it up on the last day. For this is the will
of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son
and believes in Him will have eternal life,
and I Myself will raise him up on the last day'"
(Jn. 6:39-40).
Therefore Jesus says:
- "'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has
eternal life'" (Jn. 6:47).
Jesus, the Bread of Life
As the bread of God, doing the Father's will, Jesus is the
bread of life. The bread of God and the bread of life are
the same -- Jesus.
- "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life
. . .'" (Jn. 6:35).
People who eat the bread of life will be filled (satisfied).
- "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life;
he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who
believes in Me will never thirst'" (Jn. 6:35).
And in the last day, they'll live forever -- they won't
die.
- "'I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the
manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread
which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat
of it and not die'" (Jn. 6:48-50).
- "'I am the living bread that came down out of heaven;
if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever
. . .'" (Jn. 6:51).
Eat Jesus' Flesh, Drink His Blood
The bread Jesus gave for the life of the world is His flesh
(Jn. 6:51). Therefore, we must eat His flesh and drink His
blood to be filled, and have eternal life (Jn. 6:53).
- "'He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides
in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me,
and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he
also will live because of Me. This is the bread which
came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died;
he who eats this bread will live forever'" (Jn.
6:56-59).
How do we eat Jesus' flesh and drink His blood? We do the
will of the living Father, who sent Jesus as the
living bread from heaven. In other words, we must
believe in Jesus and obey Him.
- People who do the will of the Father will enter the
kingdom (Matt. 7:21).
- The will of the Father is to believe in Jesus (Jn.
6:40).
- To do the will of the Father, we must obey Jesus (Jn.
12:48; Heb. 5:9).
To be continued.
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